Monday, July 9, 2012

The Assault on Vitebsk (Firestorm game)

FIRESTORM TURN 2 GAME 2
The Soviets have now encircled the Festerplatz, and the time had come to crack them. Vitebsk was chosen as the first, because capturing the fortress city would open up supply to the soviet forward elements pushing for Minsk.
A heavy assault gun company with Engineer support was sent as the first wave. Their goal was to secure the Southern bridge, or if rapid advance could be made- to push into the city and secure both bridges.
The Germans were cut off from supply and thus had their morale reduced after suffering several days of preparatory bombardments.
The soviets had air support (technically air isn't allowed in the city battles, but we don't need no stinkin' rules).
We also had a guest helping with the soviets- shout out to Dan Wood!
The Mission was Pincer.

Soviet Heavy Assault Gun Company

HQ IS-2 + .50 cal

4x ISU 152 + .50 cals

4x ISU 152 + .50 cals

4x ISU 122 + .50 cals

Sapper Company (Firestorm)

Limited Sturmoviks (Firestorm)

German Sturmkompanie

HQ + Von Saucken + Dietrich Uthoff

Sturm Platoon + 7 Panzerfausts

Sturm Platoon (upgrade to Pioneers) + Panzerfaust

Sturm Platoon

3x Tiger IE

105 Battery

Fortifications (for defending the fortress city)

Panzerpioneers (Firestorm)

SETUP AND DEPLOYMENT

Looking down the road

The assault is prepared.

The germans are dug in tight as a tick

They cling to the ruins of Vitebsk

The Northern Bridge.

152s on the right.

ISU 122s in the center

UNITS IN RESERVE

Soviet Heavy Assault Gun Company

German Sturmkompanie

Sturm Pioneers

105s

Sturm Platoon

DEPLOYMENT SUMMARY

Soviet Heavy Assault Gun Company: The Soviets are ready to roll forward and level the city if need be.German Sturmkompanie: The Germans start with their Panzerfaust armed infantry and firestorm pioneers on the board. Tiger Is are in ambush.

TURN 1

The Assault Guns rumble forward

Engineers march on.

The Southern ISU-152s roll forward under the command of Leytenant Dan Woodski. The bridge is blocked by an AT obstacle

Soviet Heavy Assault Gun Company: Massed fire completely wipes out the Pioneers in the center...German Sturmkompanie: but amid the smoke and rubble, 3 88cm cannons open up and exact revenge!

TURN 4

Turn 4

The company command IS-2 and the ISU-122s knock out 2 Tiger Is!

The ISUs were looking for 6s! I got lucky

The Northern ISU 152s attempt to cross the ford. One gets stuck, and another blows up on the mines... just as German reserves arrive!

Uh oh!

105s (which arrived last turn- we allowed them to be off table) rain down on the bridge.

A flame thrower clears the way for the assault

Charge!

The Pioneers claim 2 kills. The 4th escapes to safety.

Meanwhile Sean abandons the South flank in the face of the bunker busters.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY

Soviet Heavy Assault Gun Company

South 152s: 2 Assault Guns

North 152s: 3 Assault Guns

German Sturmkompanie

Firestorm pioneers: DESTROYED

Tigers: 2 tanks

South Sturm Platoon: 1 stand

TURN 4 SUMMARY

Soviet Heavy Assault Gun Company: The assault guns get lucky when they pop 2 Tigers...German Sturmkompanie: but retribution is had swiftly when pioneers knock out 3 assault guns that were attempting to cross the river.

TURN 5

The company commander redeploys

Dietrich Uthoff watches from behind a burning tank as the German pioneers are mercillesly gunned down in a hail of .50 cal fire, leaving only the platoon leader standing... before fleeing in terror

The last German reserves arrive.

105 fire knocks out a 122 in the bridge traffic jam

Sean's Tiger snuck out for a shot, but failed to stormtrooper to safety!

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY

Soviet Heavy Assault Gun Company

South 152s: 2 Assault Guns

North 152s: 3 Assault Guns

ISU 122s: 1 Assault Gun

German Sturmkompanie

Firestorm pioneers: DESTROYED

Sturm pioneers: DESTROYED

South Sturm Platoon: 1 stand

Tigers: 2 tanks

TURN 5 SUMMARY

Soviet Heavy Assault Gun Company: MG fire annihilates the Sturm pioneers.German Sturmkompanie: The last of Sean's reserves arrive, and the Tiger is left in the open within short range of 2 ISU-122s...

TURN 6

Turn 6

Predictably, the Tiger is blown to smithereens as the Soviet engineers prepare to start working on the AT obstacle.

Boom!

Planes have seen minimal use here, but they manage to knock out 1 stand of infantry.

Under a smoke barrage from the 105s, the North Sturm Platoon assaults the bridge!

Forcing the Pioneers back and claiming 2 122s!

But their losses in defensive fire prove too much and they are themselves destroyed!

The carnage. The last 122 quits the field. The Battalion Commander tries to convince them otherwise, but himself flees!

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY

Soviet Heavy Assault Gun Company

South 152s: 2 Assault Guns

North 152s: 3 Assault Guns

ISU 122s: DESTROYED

HQ: DESTROYED

German Sturmkompanie

Firestorm pioneers: DESTROYED

Sturm pioneers: DESTROYED

Tigers: DESTROYED

North Sturm Platoon: DESTROYED

South Sturm Platoon: 2 stands

TURN 6 SUMMARY

Soviet Heavy Assault Gun Company: The 122s knock out the last Tiger I as the engineers prepare to clear the defensesGerman Sturmkompanie: A desperate counter attack sees off the 122s And the Soviet Commander! But at the cost of another platoon.

TURN 7

The start of turn 7. Both sides are beaten down.

The Engineers move left and claim the Southern objective.

Other engineers move through the rubble to block Von Saucken from moving forward.

Sean has no forces left to counter. The game goes 5-2 for the Soviets.

COMBAT CASUALTY SUMMARY

Soviet Heavy Assault Gun Company

South 152s: 2 Assault Guns

North 152s: 3 Assault Guns

ISU 122s: DESTROYED

HQ: DESTROYED

German Sturmkompanie

Firestorm pioneers: DESTROYED

Sturm pioneers: DESTROYED

Tigers: DESTROYED

North Sturm Platoon: DESTROYED

South Sturm Platoon: 2 stands

TURN 7 SUMMARY

Soviet Heavy Assault Gun Company: All but 3 of the assault guns are destroyed, and the surviving ones have no leadership. But the Engineers are unscathed, and are able to make it across the river to secure an objective.German Sturmkompanie: After being pummeled for days, the Germans finally give, and Vitebsk is liberated by the Red Army.

The assault on Vitebsk ends in soviet victory.
The germans win the iniative and attempt to cut off the Soviet forward elements by striking Polotsk!